31 August 2024

From the director

To our readers and all of our generous donors

Things in the UK have become very bad in the short time since Labour took over the reins of power.

The threats to the middle classes, pensioners, the North Sea oil and gas industry, and the chemical industry are all highlighted in this week’s Samizdat. However, the intriguing news that Mr Miliband has asked National Grid ESO for costed scenarios about how to decarbonise the electricity system by 2030 does give us a scrap of hope that reality is starting to dawn in the Westminster village.

And there is also a little consolation in the way our message is starting to dominate the media, both traditional and social. Requests for media appearances are coming thick and fast – there are several linked below – and supportive op-eds are appearing almost every day.

The return of Parliament next week promises some fireworks, although Ed Miliband doesn’t have to face MPs until the start of October. Whatever happens, there is no doubt that Mr Starmer and his crew are facing an autumn of discontent.

Wishing you all the very best weekend.

Andrew

As always, please don’t reply to this email address, which is not monitored.

The headlines

UK

• Labour MPs’ rumbles of discontent

• Tax rise prospect deterring green investors

• The death of steel

• Chilly churches

• Electricity prices ever upwards

• Getting insects into the food chain

• Ending North Sea oil and gas

• Miliband’s SOS?

Around the world

• Climate policies not working

• Demand management disaster

• Oil giant assumes demand will remain steady

• Can chemical industry survive Net Zero?

• Korea to ban charged EVs from carparks

Etcetera

• The Conservatives and Net Zero

• More reasons why hydrogen won’t work

• Harry in the media

• Dame Andrea on renewables prices

• Another milestone reached for NZW

UK

Labour MPs’ rumbles of discontent

Labour MPs expressed dismay over the Government’s cutbacks on winter fuel payments to pensioners. The cost of the cuts – less than £2 billion – was widely compared to £12 billion made available for overseas ‘climate aid’ in a series of viral tweets.

Tax rise prospect deterring green investors

Guido Fawkes Blog reported that investment house NatPower UK, which promised to pump £10 billion into UK green energy, is now getting cold feet, as the prospect of further tax rises looms.

The death of steel

British Steel announced that it will stop importing iron ore and coke in October, bringing an end to blast furnace steel making in the UK.

Chilly churches

The head of the Church of England’s climate campaign said that vicars should switch off the heating and give blankets to worshippers instead. Those charged with looking after the buildings warned of the risk to precious artefacts.

Electricity prices ever upwards

Analysts Cornwall Insight are predicting that electricity prices next year will be 70% higher than they were before the Ukraine war and the energy price crisis.

Getting insects into the food chain

A government backed research institute is working on plans to get insect protein into the food chain. All part of the Net Zero drive.

Ending North Sea oil and gas

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband announced that his department would not be defending Greenpeace’s challenge to the go-ahead given to the Rosebank and Jackdaw oil fields.

Miliband’s SOS?

Miliband wrote to the head of National Grid ESO, asking for ‘practical advice’ on delivering Net Zero by 2030, and, more specifically, a series of costed scenarios. That these weren’t available and considered as part of Labour’s policy development proposals is a concern.

Around the world

Climate policies not working

An analysis by the Mercator Research Institute in Germany found that most climate policies do little to prevent climate change.

Demand management disaster

The German Green in charge of the country’s economy suggested that businesses will have to pause production when renewables fail to deliver. German businesses were unimpressed.

Oil giant assumes demand will remain steady

Exxon is assuming that there will be no fall in demand for fossil fuels before 2050.

Can chemical industry survive Net Zero?

The American Chemical Society asked whether there is any hope of survival for the European chemical industry in the face of destructive decarbonisation policies.

Korea to ban charged EVs from carparks

South Korea has announced that EVs with fully charged batteries will be banned from carparks. The decision follows a major blaze caused by a Mercedes EV.

Etcetera

The Conservatives and Net Zero

Andrew had an op-ed in Conservative Home, looking at the Net Zero messages coming from Conservative leadership candidates. Mr Farage will be pleased.

More reasons why hydrogen won’t work

Francis Menton reviewed a new paper discussing the viability of converting the existing gas grid for delivering hydrogen. In short, it isn’t.

Harry in the media

Harry was on TNT Radio discussing the Government’s ‘Great British Energy’ plan, and on GB News, discussing prospects for a fuel duty increase.

Dame Andrea on renewables prices

Dame Andrea Jenkyns (a statutory director of Net Zero Watch) was on GB News, discussing the inexorable rise in electricity prices caused by renewables. She also appeared a few days later, bemoaning the lack of Parliamentary scrutiny of Net Zero policies.

Another milestone reached for NZW

We hit 60,000 followers on Twitter.

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